Hampshire County Council

Executive Member - Policy and Resources

12 September 2002

Project Appraisal: B3402 Weyhill Road, Andover -
Traffic Management

Report of the County Surveyor

Item 8

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background papers

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB the list excludes:

1.

Published works.

2.

Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

TITLE

LOCATION

None

Hampshire County Council

Executive Member - Environment

10 September 2002

Project Appraisal: B3402 Weyhill Road, Andover -
Traffic Management

Report of the County Surveyor

Item 6

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

EXECUTIVE MEMBER - ENVIRONMENT

PROJECT APPRAISAL

PROJECT:

B3402 WEYHILL ROAD, ANDOVER - TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

COMMENCEMENT DATE:

NOVEMBER 2002

COMPLETION DATE:

FEBRUARY 2003

PLANNED YEAR OF START IN ACCORDANCE WITH CAPITAL PROGRAMME: 2002/03

1.

FINANCE (Client Department, Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services [Estates Practice] and County Treasurer)

Current

Capital

Estimate

Programme

(at Aug 01

(at Aug 01

prices)

prices)

Capital Expenditure

£'000

£'000

Land to be purchased

nil

nil

Construction

836

836

Fees

216

216

Less developers/

1,052

1,052

other contributions

*365

*365

687

687

Financial provision for total scheme

Total Cost

1.

From Committees own resources

(a) Capital programme

687

(b) Other

2.

From other resources

365

TOTAL

1,052

Value of land for this project in HCC ownership £ nil

Variations from capital programme

Revenue implications

£'000

% variation

to Committee's

budget

Net current expenditure

1.5

0.003

Capital charges

74.0

0.077

TOTAL net expenditure

75.5

0.080

2.

STATEMENT OF NEED/JUSTIFICATION FOR PROJECT

(Client Department)

The B3402 Weyhill Road is primarily residential in nature with some business premises, including a parade of local shops (see attached location plan).

The 12 hour annual average daily traffic (AADT) flow on the section of Weyhill Road which is the subject of this project is between 10,000 and 12,500 vehicles.

Vehicle speed observations indicate an 85%ile value up to 38 miles per hour (mph) in this 30 mph restricted zone.

There were 34 (31 slight, 2 serious and 1 fatal) accidents in the period April 1997 to March 2000.

The traffic management scheme aims to reduce traffic speeds on Weyhill Road, reduce the levels of non-local through traffic, improve safety at junctions and provide improved crossing facilities for pedestrians.

3.

ROAD IMPROVEMENT PROPOSAL (Client Department)

National/County network and policies

The package of measures for Weyhill Road, Andover has been developed in accordance with the aims and objectives of the Andover Transport Strategy (ATS), which was prepared in accordance with national, regional and county-wide policy guidance.

Details of scheme and design standards

The scheme design adheres to both national and Hampshire County Council design standards. General arrangement plans (drawing nos. 17/B3402/4/150-153) will be displayed at the meeting.

The traffic management measures will consist of:

(i)

reduced carriageway width and new carriageway markings at the western access to Weyhill Road off the Hundred Acre roundabout;

(ii)

raised imprint carriageway surfacing and a modified kerb line radius at the Monxton Road junction with Weyhill Road;

(iii)

a new roundabout at the East Portway/Weyhill Road junction;

(iv)

a new puffin crossing between East Portway and Upper Drove facilitating improved safe access to Andover Portway County Junior/Infant School and the newly re-sited John Hanson School;

(v)

raised imprint carriageway surfacing and improved pedestrian crossing features on Upper Drove at its junction with Weyhill Road;

(vi)

new pedestrian refuge islands and improved pedestrian crossing features either side of the Cheavley Close junction with Weyhill Road;

(vii)

road narrowing, rationalisation of parking and permitted turning movements and improved pedestrian facilities in the area of the Meadow Way and Portway Close junctions with Weyhill Road. These works include resurfacing of the parking area in front of the adjacent parade of shops and regulation of traffic movements into, through and out of this parking area. New parking bays are to be constructed in the Portway Close service road and a new layby provided to the east of the parade of shops on the south side of Weyhill Road;

(viii)

raised imprint junction treatment and improved pedestrian crossing features at The Drove/The Crescent;

(ix)

central pedestrian refuges and appropriate tactile paving each side of the Colebrook Way junction and on the east side of the Jensen Gardens junction with Weyhill Road;

(x)

raised imprint carriageway surfacing, reconstruction of the roundabout central island and overrun area, and improved pedestrian crossing facilities at the Millway Road junction with Weyhill Road;

(xi)

raised imprint carriageway surfacing and improved pedestrian crossing facilities at The Avenue junction with Weyhill Road;

(xii)

raised imprint carriageway surfacing, reconstruction of the roundabout central island and overrun area, and improved pedestrian road crossing facilities at the Salisbury Road junction with Weyhill Road; and

(xiii)

new street lighting between the Hundred Acre roundabout and Monxton Road, at the new East Portway roundabout, in the area of the parade of shops near Meadow Way and Portway Close, and at The Avenue and Salisbury Road junctions.

Environmental Impact

The construction of the roundabout at the East Portway junction will result in the loss of an established shrub-planted landscape area of about 85 square metres.

Replacement planting on the roundabout central island will cover about the same area. Other areas, including a grass area to the north-east of the junction which is owned by Test Valley Borough Council, are being investigated for planting possibilities.

A small area of the grass verge in the service road to Portway Close will be removed to permit five parallel parking bays to be installed. One dead tree will be removed and replaced, a further ornamental tree will be retained and additional planting undertaken.

A budget of £10,000 for landscaping is included in the financial estimates.

Land requirements

No land acquisition required. Accommodation works on the area of private land in front of the parade of shops adjacent to Meadow Way are proposed. These take the form of drainage refurbishment, minor structural repairs, resurfacing and road markings. These are necessary in order to introduce the rationalised traffic management regime in the car park.

Public consultation and statutory procedures

A public consultation exhibition of conceptual designs for both Weyhill Road and a separate scheme in Salisbury Road, Andover was held in December 1999.

Following analysis of the responses, further development work was undertaken and modifications in the area of the parade of shops opposite Portway Close were added. This latter addition was in response to strong demand for changes from the first consultation. The more detailed scheme for Weyhill Road was taken to a second public consultation in August 2000 where it received strong support, as was reported to the Andover Transportation Strategy Members' Panel in October 2000.

There have been a number of other local consultations, on matters of detail, with the traders from the parade of shops and residents of Portway Close. Details of the proposed Puffin crossing between East Portway and Upper Drove were advertised and no objections received.

The Traffic Regulation Order to control parking and traffic movements in the area of Portway Close and the parade of shops adjacent to Meadow Way was advertised in May 2002. A copy of the schedule is attached as Appendix 1.

The effect of the Order will be:

(i)

to make the Weyhill Road service road one-way (west to east);

(ii)

to restrict the permitted parking period in the new parking bays in the Portway Close service road to two hours maximum (Monday to Friday 9.00 am to 6.00 pm) with no waiting elsewhere in this road and for the first nine metres into Portway Close itself;

(iii)

to restrict parking in the new layby on the south side of Weyhill Road, to the east of the shops, to two hours maximum (Monday to Friday 9.00 am to 6.00 pm);

(iv)

elsewhere in Weyhill Road in this locality, no waiting at any time to be permitted;

(v)

similar 'no waiting' restrictions on the west side of Meadow Way as far as its junction with Ash Tree Close; and

(vi)

to make access through the parade of shops car park one-way east to west with entry from Weyhill Road (eastern access) and exit to Meadow Way. The existing western access to Weyhill Road to be closed.

Five letters of objection have been received, one of which included a petition with 797 signatures. A list of the objectors and a summary of their objections, together with officer comments, are attached as Appendix 2.

Facilities for the disabled

The design of junction treatments throughout the scheme has included the provision, where appropriate, of dropped kerb pedestrian crossings with appropriate tactile paving for the visually impaired.

The provision of a new Puffin crossing between East Portway and Upper Drove and the rationalisation of pedestrian/vehicle interface at the existing Zebra crossing at Portway Close are significant improvements in the facilities for the disabled.

Maintenance implications

The revenue implications of this proposal will be taken into account in the setting of the annual base budget.

Local Members' view

The consultation stages and development of this scheme have been fully reported to the Andover Transportation Strategy Members' Panel in October 1999; March, May and October 2000 and March 2001.

The scheme affects areas within the ward boundaries of both Andover North and South. The local Members, Councillors Kirk and Mrs West, support the proposals.

Crime and Disorder Act 1998

The provisions of this Act have no impact on this proposal.

Sustainability

The project accords with some of the primary elements of the County Council's Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS) as follows:

(i)

the scheme objectives include the improvement of pedestrian facilities and traffic speed reducing measures in order to promote an environment conducive to walking rather than other means of transport;

(ii)

it has involved extensive public consultation to ensure, as far as possible, community cooperation;

(iii)

it aims to remove some of the non-local through traffic to other, more suitable routes and in so doing will contribute to local air quality management in an essentially residential area;

(iv)

the technical specification for the works includes options to actively encourage the use of recycled materials within the highway construction fabric; and

(v)

contract documents require works contractors to sign a `Prompt Payment Certificate' in line with SDS recommendations to assist in developing a sustainable local economy.

4.

ROAD IMPROVEMENT - ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED

(Client Department)

(i)

A change of priority at the East Portway junction with Weyhill Road was considered, but rejected in favour of the proposed roundabout, following public consultation.

(ii)

A simple upgrade of the Zebra crossing near Portway Close and the parade of shops, with no other work in the area, was considered. At the first public consultation in December 1999, there was strong public demand for a more extensive rationalisation of traffic and pedestrian movements.

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background papers

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB the list excludes:

1.

Published works.

2.

Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

TITLE

LOCATION

None

Objector No

Objection

Officer Comments

1 plus 797 signatures to the petition

The exit from the shops car park should not be onto Meadow Way. The visibility to the right of the exit is inadequate and its proximity to the Meadow Way junction with Weyhill Road will create congestion and be detrimental to trade.

The car park exit is sited in Meadow Way in order to restrict the number of vehicle turning movements on Weyhill Road in the vicinity of the pedestrian crossing. Visibility to the right of the car park exit is adequate for the speed of traffic turning off Weyhill Road. The very low vehicle flows on Meadow Way indicate that traffic congestion will not be a problem.

1

The road narrowing of Weyhill Road will increase congestion which will create a safety hazard in the vicinity of the Zebra crossing.

A better solution would be to install a mini roundabout on Weyhill Road at the Meadow Way junction, convert the Zebra crossing to a Pelican and retain the car park exit directly onto Weyhill Road.

Alternatively, the service road at Portway Close could be converted to be the main route for through traffic.

The road narrowing is not subject to Traffic Regulation Orders. Road narrowing is a recognised traffic calming feature for speed control purposes. Traffic modelling indicates that congestion will not be a problem in this area.

The road narrowing provides the additional space for traffic to manoeuvre within the car park and would still be needed if other junction configurations were adopted. A Zebra crossing is assessed as the most appropriate for the traffic levels, pedestrian patterns and proximity of vehicle turning movements in the area.

The mini roundabout proposal would not help to significantly rationalise the number of turning movements or pedestrian/vehicle conflict points. Conversion of the Portway Close service road would be unacceptable to the residents of Portway Close and would severely limit forward visibility to the Zebra crossing.

2

The waiting restriction in the new layby on the south side of Weyhill Road should be limited to 10 minutes not two hours as specified in the draft orders. This will allow its use by large vehicles delivering to the shops and stop longer term parking by occupiers of the adjacent flats.

The length of maximum waiting periods was determined after a separate local consultation and in the knowledge that separate provision for deliveries (the loading bay in the shops car park) was being made. The loading bay was added following specific consultation with local traders. All parking restrictions will be subject to review of their operational effectiveness following implementation.

3

Concerned about the interface between cyclists and other traffic where the road width is reduced to 5.8 metres.

Also concerned about the potential conflicts for cyclists where the new layby is proposed on the south side of Weyhill Road.

The minimum road width will be six metres which is adequate for all road users. The reduction from the present 7.5-8 metres is not strictly a feature of the Traffic Regulation Order but will assist in reducing traffic speeds at this critical location. The layby is of sufficient width to permit the safe passage of cyclists when vehicle doors are being opened.

4

That road space be given over to the parking of vehicles. The delivery lorry bay should be off road. It would then not be necessary to reduce the carriageway width, which is a threat to cyclists.

There is also a danger to cyclists from the opening of vehicle doors in the layby.

A loading bay for delivery vehicles has been provided off road. The reduced carriageway width would still be necessary as a traffic calming feature and to facilitate the restricted turning movements into the shops car park area. The layby is of sufficient width to permit the safe passage of cyclists when vehicle doors are being opened.

The carriageway width reduction and provision of a layby are independent of the Traffic Regulation Order.

5

Pedestrian and vehicle safety will be jeopardised by the presence of the Zebra crossing between the entrance and exit to a busy parade of shops.

The loading bay within the car park will restrict visibility for vehicles exiting Meadow Way.

The Zebra crossing is sited on a strong desire line for pedestrians, particularly parents with children to and from school. A key objective of the Traffic Regulation Order is to restrict the number of different turning movements available to vehicles accessing the shops car park in the vicinity of the Zebra crossing.

The alignment of the 'give way' road marking at the Meadow Way junction has been modified to ensure that junction visibility standards are achieved.